Textile drafting method and machine



April 7, 1953 P. -r. BODELL TEXTILE DRAFTING METHOD AND MACHINE 3 Sheets-Shea 1 Filed May 11, 1951 4 mwbw INVENTOR:

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April 7,. 1953 P. T. BODELL TEXTILE 'DRAFTING METHOD AND MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 11, 1951 INVENTOR:

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April 7, 1953 P. T. BODEtL TEXTILE DRAFTING METHOD AND MACHINE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 11, 1951 E m g INVENTOR:

P171 1? Bqdell BY' y ATTORNEYS.

Patented Apr. 7, 1 953 PATENT omcs TEXTILE DRAFTING METHOD AND MACHINE- Philip Boaeif Bristol, R. i., assignor to" coilins a Ailiinan Corporation, Philadelphia, Pa., a

corporatidnof'Delaware Application May 1-1, 1951,- S eria lNo. 225,846

11 Claims.

This invention relates to methods and machines for drafting textile fibers, and more particularly concerns themultiple stage drafting of textile fibers.

the art of drafting textile fibers it has been recognized for many years that the use of a porcupine roll positioned beneath the stock androtating freely with the stock or driven at a greater speed than the stock contributed to the uniformity of the ultimate product. However, the action of such porcupine rolls in the drafting frames of the prior art has not provided a sufficient control over uniformity. and quality par ticularly where the fibers being processed have beenof varying or mixed lengths.

The chief aims of my invention are to enable textile drafting operations to be accomplished in a continuous manner and at greater speeds than possible heretoforewhile maintaining control of all fibers being drafted. A further object is to provide 'a drafting frame and process suitable for drafting both combed and uncombed stock without creating unevenness in the sliver produced.

The foregoing and other objects and advantages are realized in practice, as hereinafter more fully disclosed, through provision of a continuou method of drafting and combing slivers of textile fibers in a plurality of drafting stages, wherein the fibers in each stage are contacted by a positively driven porcupine roll rotating in the "same direction as the fibers but at a substantially lesser speed than the feed roll of the particular stage within which the positively driven porcupine roll is mounted. Moreover, a machine is provided in accordance with this invention whereby multiples of such slivers can be concurrently worked and at the same time merged into a single strand of a predetermined weight corresponding to the weight of an individual sliver at the feed end of the machine. According to this invention slivers are concurrently drawn to progressively increasing degrees of finemass by rolls arranged in a plurality of interconnected stages, with pin or porcupine rolls underlying each stage and driven so that their pins have a peripheral speed from about 20% to about 35% less than the speeds of the immediately preceding rolls.

Other objects and attendant advantages of my invention will appear from the following detailed description of the accompanying drawings, whereof:

Fig. 1 is a top plan view of a textile drafting machine constituting one embodiment of my invention, and suitable for the practice of my improved method;

Fig". 2 shows the machine of Fig. 1 in side elevatiljll;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary view in iongi'tudinal section, taken as indicated by the angled arrows III -III in Fig. 1; and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view in top plan, taken as indicated by the lines and arrows IV-I'V' which appear in Fig. 2, showing how a plurality of slivers are concurrently passed through the machine and the fibers thereof in-' tegrated into a single sliver.

The single illustrated embodiment of my improved textile drafting machine has a frame with laterally-spaced longitudinal top members I supported by a standard 2. In entering the ma-- chine, a plurality of slivers S are passed, side by side, over a plate 3 bridged transversely between the frame members I, said plate having guard flanges 4 at opposite sides to guide and confine the slivers. The top surface 5 of plate 3 is forwardly and upwardly inclined to direct the slivers S into the nip of a pair of superposed cooperat ing feedrolls 6 and I of which the lower roll "I may be fluted as best shown in Fig. 3. The trunnions of rolls 6 and 'I are journalledin the vertical slot of bearing blocks 8 mounted on the frame members I, with the upper roll resting by itspwn w'eightupon the lower one.

Two pairs of similarly-arranged draft rolls It, II and I2, I3 are disposed in spaced relation to each other and to the feed rolls 6, I longitudinally of the machine, with their trunnion likewise engaged in the vertical slot of bearing blocks I4 and I5 respectively. In order to simplify the matter of terminology the feed rolls 6, I will hereinafter be referred to as the back rolls and the rolls I 0, I I will be referred to as the middle or first set of draft rolls while rolls I2, I3 will be designated the front or second set of draft rolls, although it Should be noted that the middle rolls are in reality draft rolls with respect to the back rolls and feed rolls with respect to the front rolls. Positioned in the interval between the back rolls and the middle rolls and in the interval between the middle rolls and the front rolls are single first and second porcupine rolls I6 and I! whereof the trunnions are journalled in blocks I8 and I9 engaged, with capacity for up and down adjustment by means of screws 20 and 2|, in the vertical slots of guides 22, 23 respectively. The porcupine rolls I 6, I! are characterized by the fact that they have a diameter, exclusive of their pins, greater than the rolls I, I I and I3 and by the fact that they are positioned vertically in such a way that the upper point on the circumference ofyea'ch porcupine roll lies above the upper point of the circumference of both of the bottom feed rolls between which they are located. Likewise it should be noted that the number of pins on back porcupine roll I6 is less than the number of pins on front roll IT in order to take care of the difference in the density of fibers which is greater in the backstage (which lies between roll-s I and II) as compared to the front stage (which lies between rolls II and I3). As shown, the bearing blocks 8, I4, I and the guides 22, 23 are shiftable with respect to each other longitudinally of the machine, and are securable in the adjusted position longitudinally of the frame I by headed bolts 25, 26, 21, 28 and 29 whereof the shanks extend upwardly through lengthwise slots 30 in the frame members I. The single strand S of the material resulting from '4 GI and 62 respectively serve as the means for securing the fingers 55, 55 against displacement after adjustment.

In view of the importance of regulating the effect of the porcupine rolls upon the fibers, it is important to provide adjustable means for securing the porcupine rolls invertically adjustable positions on the draw frame. This provides for the adjustment of the surface of the revolving porcupine rolls toward and away from the fibers and further provides means for changing the effective linear speed of the pins themselves upon the fibers, since the portions of the pins most distant from the roll itself are moving around its center at a greater linear velocity than the portions of the pins located closer to the center of V the roll. The term peripheral speed of the pins the merging of the slivers S by the processing is directed through an eye 3| at the extremity of an arm 32 at the .delivery and of the machine, into a coiler 33 which may be of 'well known construc-- tion.

Rotary motion is imparted'to'the front roll I3 by an electric motor'or other suitable source of power (not shown). On the trunnion 34 at one side of the machine is affixed a spur pinion'35 that meshes with a spur wheel '36 on a countershaft 3? which, in turn, carries a spur pinion 38 that meshes with a spur pinion 39 fixed on the corresponding trunnion 'of lower roll'I'I of the first pair of draft rolls. At the same side of the machine, an idler spur wheel 40 meshes with pinions M, 42 respectively on the corresponding trunnions of the lower back or feed roll I and the first porcupine roll it. At the opposite side of the machine, a spur pinion 43 on the trunnion of second porcupine roll iI, mates with a spur pinion 4A which is secured to a countershaft 45. Also secured to the countershaft 45 is a spur gear 46 that meshes with a spur pinion 41 on the corresponding trunnion oflower roll II of the first draft rolls. A second spur pinion 48 fixed on the last mentioned trunnion of roll II mates with a spur gear 59, which is secured on another countershaft 56 having a spur pinion 5| thereon in mesh with a spur pinion 52 on the corresponding trunnion of the lower feed roll I. The gears of the transmission system just described as well as the sizes of the rolls are so proportioned that the feed rolls 6, I are driven at aslower linear surface speed than any of the other rolls. The middle or first draft rolls I8, II are driven at a higher linear surface speed than the back rolls. The front or second draft rolls 1 2, I3 are driven at a linear surface speed higher than the corresponding speeds of the middle or first, draft rolls. The first porcupine roll IE is driven so that its surface and its pins have a peripheral speed less than the peripheral or surface speed of the back or feed rolls 6, I and the second porcupine roll ii is driven so that its surface and its pins have a peripheral speed less than the peripheral speed of middle rolls l0, II. It is to be particularly noted that the front porcupine roll I! has quills or points which are finer and more closely spaced than, and which greatly exceed in number those of the back porcupine rolls IS. The slivers S are constrained to travel between the paired rolls within the longitudinal confines of the latter in a straight path by freely rotative guide fingers 55 and 55 which depend from fixed cross bars 51, 58 extending between the bearings 8, 8 and 14, I4 respectively, said cross bars being longitudinally slotted as at 59 and 69 to permit adjustment of the fingers along them. The screws designated is intended to mean the eifective speed of said pins within the region of contact with the fibers during passage of the fiber strands over the surfaces of the porcupine rolls.

Operation As the slivers S pass from the back or feed rolls 8, i to the middle or first draft rolls [9, H, they are drawn or reduced due to the higher speed of the latter rolls relative'to the former, and are at the same time combed and effectively controlledby the quills or pins of first porcupine roll Iii which is positively driven inthe same direction with the peripheral speed of its pins less than that of back rolls 6, I and middle rolls I 0, i I As a consequence, the fibers of the slivers are brought into substantial alignment in the direction of the travel of the stock in the machine and uniformity of drafting is achieved where this effect is-maintained through a plurality of interconnected draft stages. Incident to passage from the first'draft rolls 10,1 l to the second draft ,rolls I2, I3, the slivers are still further drawn or reduced due to the higher speed of the latter lrolls relative to the former. At the same time, the drafting of the fibers is kept uniform by the action of the quills or pins of the second porcupine roll II'which is driven in the same direction with a lower peripheral speed of its pins than that of middle rolls I0, II and at a still lower peripheral speed thanfront rolls I2, I3. Preferably the first porcupine roll It has a peripheral speed less than; ,that of the front porcupine roll II. The fibers of the multiple slivers S-are ultimately brought into a single strand upon-entry, byway of the eyeiet 3I, into the collecting receptacle 33, all as diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 4.

As a specific example of actual practice, the component gears of the transmission mechanism may be so proportioned as to determine a draft of four in the first or initial. stage and a draft of four in the second stage, with a resultant total draft of sixteen. Thus, sixteen ends weighing 50 grains per yard passing into the machine represents a total of 800 grains per yard fed. Due to the 16 to 1 ratio between the linear rotational speeds of the back and front pairs of the draft rolls, the strand delivered from the machine will have a weight corresponding to that of one of the original slivers and this will be achieved in a substantially uniform strand of fibers by virtue of the control effect of the positively driven porcupine rolls. 7

For the attainment of the best results in processing of stock made up of fibers of different lengths or of different materials, it is advantageous to shift the porcupine rolls in the inter-. vals between the draft rolls, In other instances,

it is desirable to change the spacing cftiie' pairs of draft rolls. These; conditions can be readily satisfied by using the adjustment facilities which have been described. Furthermore, if changes in the total draft ratio should prove to be of linportance, such changes can be carried out, for eiiample, by substituting spur pinions of larger or smaller sizes for the pinions 38 and M cn'tne shafts 3? and 45.

It is important in the practice of this invention to drive the porcupine roll in each draft stage at a peripheral speed less than the speed of either the back or front rolls of the draft stage within which it is mounted; In single stage drafting involving a porcupine roll, such for instance as the French system, it is known that the peripheral speed of the porcupine roll should be greater than the peripheral speed of the feed rolls. However, I have discovered an inferior product results if one employs speeds such as this'in a multiple stage drafting frame. Surprisingly the provision of peripheral porcupine roll speeds less than those of the back and front rolls produces an excellent duality sliver where the multiple stage drafting of the present iflvefitidifi is employed.

As a specific example of the foregoing, a definite fiber stock was set up in a conventional single stage porcupine draw frame and adjustments were made in settings and roll speeds until there was produced the most uniform and even sliver obtainable on that machine. The peripheral speed of the porcupine was 3% to 6% greater than that of the back roll. The same stock was then placed in a multiple stage porcupine draw frame set up to provide a porcupine roll peripheral speed 3-6% greater than that of the back roll in each draft stage. The resultant sliver was of inferior quality. The same machine was modified to provide back stage conditions wherein the porcupine roll peripheral speed was 24.01% less than that of the back rolls of the back stage, and front stage conditions wherein the porcupine roll peripheral speed was 31.17 less than that of the back rolls of such stage. The slivers thus produced were the most even and uniform attainable on that machine.

As a still further example, the following table Front rolls l2, l3 13.6730

Since the extent of porcupine roll lag (relative to the corresponding back rolls and to the linear velocity of the fibers themselves) varies with the different fibers processed, it will be appreciated that such speed variations may be made beyond the disclosure of the foregoing examples without departing from the scope of this invention.

While one specific form of the invention has been illustrated in the drawings, including sets of fluted and cushioned draft rolls, porcupine rolls, and direct gear drive means for the rolls, it will be appreciated that the form of these and other elements may be varied by substitution of equivalent elements serving a similar purpose. Moreover certain features of the inventionimay be used independently of other features, and parts and method steps may be reversed, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, f claim:

1. A method of processing 'teiitile'fibers com"- prising the steps'of passing them between a set of cooperating driven feedrolls revolving" at a given speed; drafting said fibers by passing them between a set of cooperating driven draft rolls rev lving at a gre ter peripheral speed than'the reed rolls: rotativel'y moving a first set of pins in the path of and contact with the fibers at a point intermediate said sets of rolls, said pins movingat a peripheral speed less than the pe ripheral speed of the feed rolls; passing the thus processedfibers between a second set of deeperating draft rolls revolving at aperi'p'heral speed greater than the first set of draft rolls and rota tively moving a se ond set of'pins in the path or and in contact with said fibers ihterinediate said first draft roll'sand said second set of draftrolls at a peripheral speed less than the peripheral speed of the said first-draft rqus but greater than the peripheral speed of said first set of pins, 7

2'. The method defined in claim 1, further characterized by the fact that both sets of pins are rotated in the fiber path at s bstannauy constant speed in the same general direction as the movement of the fibers along said path.

3. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the peripheral speed of the first set of pins is from about 20% to about 35% less than the peripheral speed of said feed rolls.

4. The method defined in claim 1, wherein the peripheral speed of the second set of pins is from about 20% to about 35% less than the peripheral speed of said first draft rolls.

5. The method defined in claim 4, wherein the peripheral speed of the first set of pins is from about 20% to about 35% less than the peripheral speed of said feed rolls.

6. A method of processing textile fibers comprising the steps of passing the fibers between a set of cooperating driven feed rolls revolving at a given speed, drafting said fibers by passing them between a first set of cooperating driven draft rolls revolving at a greater peripheral speed than said feed rolls; rotatively moving a first set of pins on a roll in contact with the fibers at a point intermediate said sets of feed and draft rolls, the surface of the pin roll and its pins moving at a peripheral speed less than the peripheral speed of the feed rolls; passing the thus processed fibers between a second set of cooperating draft rolls revolving at a peripheral speed greater than the first set of draft rolls; and rotatively moving a second set of pins on a roll in contact with said fibers intermediate the first set of draft rolls and the second set of draft rolls, the surface of the second pin roll and its pins moving at a peripheral speed less than the peripheral speed of the first set of draft rolls but greater than the peripheral speed of said first pin roll and its pins.

'7. In a multiple stage drafting machine for drafting textile fibers, a' set of feed rolls mounted in cooperating relationship, drive means operatively connected to rotate them at a given speed, a first set of draft rolls mounted in cooperating relationship and spaced at a drafting distance from said feed rolls, drive means for rotating said draft rolls at a greater peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of said feed rolls, a first rotatable pin roll having pins disposed in the drafting space between said feed rolls and said draft rolls with the pins positioned to contact fibers extending intermediate said feed rolls and said draft rolls, drive means for rotating said first pin roll peripheral speed of said feed rolls, a second set of draft rolls mounted in cooperating relationship and spaced at a drafting distance from said first set of draft rolls, drive means for rotating said second set of rolls at a greater peripheral speed than the peripheral speed of the first set of draft rolls, a second rotated pin roll disposed in the drafting space between the first and second set of draft rolls, the pins of said second pin roll being positioned to contact fibers extending intermediate said first and second draft rolls, and drive means for rotating said second pin roll and its pins at a peripheral speed less than the pee ripheral speed of said first set of draft rolls.

8. The apparatus defined in claim 7 wherein the peripheral speed of the pins of the first pin roll is from about 20% to about 35% less than the peripheral speed of the feed rolls.

9. The apparatus defined in claim 7 wherein the peripheral speed of the pins of the second pin roll is fromabout 20% to about 35% less than the peripheral speed of the first set of draft rolls.

10. The apparatus defined in claim 7 wherein the peripheral speeds of the first and second pin rolls are from about 20% to about 35% less than pass from the feed rolls to the first set of draft rolls and from the first set of draft rolls to the second set of draft rolls.

PHILIP T. BODELL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,748,712 Gminder Feb. 25, 1930 2,107,818 Elzer Feb. 8, 1938 2,127,410 Knowles Aug. 16, 1938 2,471,057 Bird May 24, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 171 Great-Britain of 1874 11,393 Great Britain of 1846 11,845 Great Britain of 1885 

